40 Per Cent Of Kids Will Not Take Covid-19 Vaccine: Hospital Survey

An online survey conducted by the department of community medicine of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, has revealed that 40 per cent parents have shown their unwillingness to get their kids administered any Covid-19 vaccine.

“We sent questions to 498 adults on their mobile phones in various parts of the country. The feedback suggests that about 40 parents are apprehensive about its after effect on kids’ body,” a senior doctor said requesting anonymity.

“Even around 35 per cent of participants have opted out of the vaccination for various reasons. We are preparing the report and will release it very soon,” he said.

Medical experts call it vaccine hesitancy, a globally prevalent psychological phenomenon. It is due to a lack of trust for a vaccine. They say that on one hand there are people who are desperately waiting to get vaccinated, while at the same time a significant section is doubtful about its impact on the body.

Noted epidemiologist Dr Jayaprakash Muliyil says that people who are sceptical about Covid-19 vaccines are not fools, but they are rather smart ones.

“We have never used this kind of vaccine ever. It is a new vaccine so concerns are quite natural,” he said. Moreover, he blames conflicting scientific claims at various stages during the progression of the disease for this type of trust deficit.

“Initially when the disease came, we were told that that the human body cannot produce defence against it and vaccine is the only way out. Then they saw anti-body coming up. Again, they said anti-bodies are there but not neutralising the virus. Then they said they were neutralising but they were not long-lasting,” Dr Muliyil said. “Now, they have created the vaccine from the same virus and exposing the body to the same viral particle.”

Dr Muliyil said that any intelligent person will be forced to think that if the vaccine can activate an antibody, the virus can also activate the antibody. “It is natural for anyone to think, “what’s going on?” All this has confused a lot of people,” he said.

Dr Amita Jain, Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow agrees that vaccine hesitancy against Covid-19 stems out from various news reports which have raised issues such as neurological damage, immunological tolerance and other side effects.

“Many people are doubtful about the severity of the infection if they contract it after getting a vaccine,” Dr Jain said.

She personally feels that the vaccine probably will not have any side effect or damage to the body because all the vaccines have been tested for safety. “However, whether these will be effective against the virus is yet to be established,” she said.

She added, “Today, we don’t know that in the same community people who are vaccinated do not get a disease vis a vis those who are not vaccinated but get the disease. So, we really don’t know how it will perform in the field."

Medical experts say that doctors are more worried and reluctant to get the vaccine than common people.

“Doctors know little beyond than what a common man knows so they are more apprehensive,” Dr Jain said adding that a senior doctor told her in a lighter vein, “First, you become the frontline warrior and now you will become the guinea pig.”

Dr Rahul Bhargava, Director and Head, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said, “Devil is in details. With so much being written about the damage Covid-19 can cause to our lungs, we are tempted to jump for vaccination. However, as you read more and read between the lines you come to know that a lot has been left unanswered. It makes you more sceptical about immediate vaccination.”